Eulogies As Supreme Court Judge, Mary Peter-Odili Retires (Profile)
Speaking at the valedictory court session held in her honour, Mrs Peter-Odili lamented the spate of violent crimes in Nigeria, which she attributed to youth unemployment.
At the event which was held at the Supreme Court in Abuja, the retiring apex court justice, who is the wife of Peter Odili, a former Rivers State governor, warned that the “urgency of what we are all faced with right now calls for necessity in tackling them.
“The massive unemployment of tertiary institution graduates is a tip of the icebergs.
“The millions of idle youth is not unrelated to the insecurity on the ground,” she said.
She said the current strike action by public universities’ lecturers, which has lasted over three months, has compounded youth restiveness.
“The situation is not helped by the perennial strikes which leave students idling away.”
In tackling the problem, Mrs Peter-Odili suggested that “the Head of State should take on the garb of Minister of Youth, Employment and Social Welfare.”
Drawing from her experience as a former First Lady in Rivers State, Mrs Peter-Odili said with the president assuming the role of employment minister, he would direct “the implementation of what is put in place without middlemen” hijacking the process.
She advised state governors to adopt same strategies in dealing with youth unemployment.
Furthermore, Mrs Peter-Odili in her valedictory speech advocated the urgent “restructuring” of Nigeria.
“My humble view is that the issue (of restructuring) should be given immediate attention.”
Recalling her over four-decade judicial career, she thanked her husband, Mr Odili, and colleagues for their support.
Eulogies
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, poured encomium on Mrs Peter-Odili for her “irrepressible voice in the temple of justice.”
Mr Muhammad described the retiring jurist as the “epitome of jurisprudential finesse.”
“We are honouring an amiable lady of alluring qualities and excellence that transcend the legal profession,” he said.
The CJN noted that Mrs Peter-Odili “offered the best of her intellect to the advancement of the legal profession through her several years of inimitable adjudications at different levels of courts in Nigeria.
“She is a specimen of hard work, industry, discipline and high moral rectitude,” Mr Muhammad said.
Similarly, Wole Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), praised the retiring justice for her contribution to Nigeria’s judicial system.
But, Mr Olanipekun who spoke on behalf of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, said the “legal profession today faces a lot of problems.”
“Political cases are responsible for the tagging of judiciary as ‘supermarket.’”
He pointed out that the Supreme Court cannot be “insular.”
“Where the Supreme Court gives a judgement in error, it should reverse itself, ” adding that “forum-shopping” where lawyers shop for favourable court decisions “has to be addressed.”
Mr Olanipekun urged the executive arm of government to “stop harassing the judiciary. The judiciary can never be inferior to any other arm of government.”
On his part, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami, represented by Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Ministry of Justice’s permanent secretary, noted that Mrs Peter-Odili followed the path of honour during her time as justice on the bench of the Supreme Court.
He, however, called on the judiciary to embrace technological innovation to ensure a more effective and efficient justice delivery system.
Profile
Mrs Peter-Odili bowed out of service after attaining the 70 years mandatory retirement age.
She was born on May 12, 1952, to the royal family of Bernard Nzenwa in a highly commercially inclined community of Amudi Obizi, Ezinihitte-Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.
She made headlines in October last year after 15 suspected invaders, including a suspected police officer, invaded her house to purportedly execute a search warrant.
The suspects are currently standing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Odili’s retirement will further deplete the number of justices on the apex court to 16, just as another of her colleagues, Justice Ejembi Eko, will also bow out next Monday.
She attended various Primary Schools including St Benedict’’s Primary School, Obizi Ezinihitte, St Michael’s Primary School, Umuahia, St Agnes Primary School, Maryland, Lagos and Our Lady of Apostles Primary School, Yaba, Lagos between 1959 and 1965.
She also attended various Secondary Schools including Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Yaba, Owerri Girls Secondary School, Owerri, Mbaise Girls Secondary School, Mbaise and the Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha between 1965 and 1972.
Justice Odili later proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Enugu Campus) and obtained her Bachelor’’s Degree in Law (LL.B (Hons)) in 1976.
She attended the Nigerian Law School in 1977 for her B.L certificate.
Justice Odili served as Pupil State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Abeokuta, Ogun State from 1977 to 1978.
Pupil State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Benin, Bendel State, 1978.
Magistrate Grade III, Benin, Bendel State (1978 -1979)
Chairman, Juvenile Court, Benin, Bendel State (1978 – 1979)
Magistrate Grade II, Rivers State(1979 – 1981), Chairman, Juvenile Court, Rivers State (1979 – 1981).
Magistrate Grade I, Chief Magistrate Grade I (1981 – 1992), Judge, High Court of Rivers State (1992 – 2004).
Justice, Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division (2004 – 2010), Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division (2010 – 2011).
Justice Odili was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court on June 23, 2011, and was later conferred with National Honour Commander Federal Republic, CFR.
She is married to a former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, and their marriage is blessed with children.
